By Ken Hunter, APR, Academic Director for Communication Certificate Programs

I understand that CEOs need breaks, too. It’s fine to be unreachable, shut down the electronics, and soak up the sun.

However, if you’re a bit of an authoritarian and are going to invoke strict “Do not disturb me” blackout rules, your staff will be anything but empowered or guided when a crisis situation erupts.

I had a client who did exactly that, during a multi-week vacation several states away. Then, at about his vacation halfway point, a crisis hit his top, most well-known unit – naturally on a weekend, when even the most-prepared organizations may be on their heels.

His #2 wasn’t about to make the needed decisions to enact the crisis communication response. Then, a national media outlet picked up on the crisis and put it on the ticker at the bottom of their screen all weekend. Local outlets began to pounce.

Unfortunately, no one was empowered to make official responses, get the organization’s message established and disseminated, answer to concerned stakeholders, or do any of the things we crisis communication pros “do before lunch.”

With no crisis communication plan in place, or empowered leadership, or staff authorized to execute, the organization’s reputation suffered. It was nearly a full week until the boss checked in as he was wrapping up his trip. The damage was done. That’s the point where I made it one of my priorities to write them a crisis communication plan.

Get It In Writing

When I walk organizations through crisis communication planning, I note that the CEO/top dog must approve the vetted plan – well in advance of an actual crisis. I learned this trick years ago: have the organization’s top boss sign a symbolic statement that this plan is approved to use, whether or not they are available to participate in decision-making at any stage of the crisis communication execution.

That signed statement usually goes as one of the first pages of the crisis communication plan, so that any hesitancy of “I’ll get in trouble if we do this” disappears at the time of a crisis event that needs a fast reaction.

I teach PR professionals about crisis communication planning at Rutgers University (it’s a terrific, thorough certificate program on this matter), and one of the common threads is that few of these communication leaders are part of business continuity planning, and they can be wanting for details just like any other stakeholder. Yet, they will probably be the ones needed to communicate issues and outcomes. That creates a problem.

Crisis Communication Plans are NOT Business Continuity Plans

Leaders need to realize that crisis communication plans are different from “crisis plans” – which are also called “business continuity plans.” The latter are nuts and bolts guidelines of what to do if there is a fire, power outage, system hack, etc., and how to troubleshoot or alter organizational operations.

Crisis communication plans may work in parallel with business continuity plans; however, they are quite distinct. A simple way to view the difference is that a business continuity plan guides the actual nuts-and-bolts of operational needs to restore function. A well-developed crisis communication plan should tell:

• How to spot a potential crisis
• Steps to take when determining who may be affected, and how
• How to create messages that address these target audiences (including internal)
• Ways to navigate ethical grey areas, and more.

A crisis communication plan is your organization’s GPS for navigating high-stakes, reputation-on-the-line moments. It’s the difference between looking like a pro who’s got it under control and a hot mess flailing in the spotlight.

Trust me: a crisis communication plan is your best defense and – as importantly – gives your organization confidence. It’s your roadmap, your lifeboat, and your sanity-saver when the storm hits. Don’t wait for a crisis to learn the hard way. Get a plan in place, and keep your reputation intact, no matter what curveballs come your way.

Ken Hunter, APR, has spent years helping organizations dodge PR bullets. He is President of PowerStation Communications – a crisis communication and PR consultancy, and an academic director and instructor for the Rutgers University Crisis Communication and Reputation Management Certificate.